Author Archives
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War" and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
-
Complicated Chrome Comic from McCloud
(with thanks to Leon Hewitt): This comic by Understanding Comics author Scott McCloud certainly won’t be for everyone, but it’s great to see comics being used in a way to explain the workings of a new product — in this… Read More ›
-
Smuggling Vacation creator banned from comic fairs?
(Updated 4/9/08): Jason Wilson’s recently-released graphic novel Smuggling Vacation, a comedy tale of two hopeless accidental drug smugglers and the gang of criminals hot on their tails, has been greeted with calls for it to be banned in prisons from… Read More ›
-
Top Shelf Sale!
To celebrate The Surrogates movie wrapping principal photography, surviving San Diego ComicCon, and all the cool new summer and fall releases, for the next ten days — through Friday 12th September — Top Shelf, a regular US retailer and publisher… Read More ›
-
Derek the Sheep Unleashed!
Gary Northfield’s popular Beano (and first creator owned) strip Derek the Sheep is out this week as a fab 64-page hardback from publishers Bloomsbury. A day in the life of Derek the Sheep is no forage in the field. Oh… Read More ›
-
Thrill Powered Paperback!
Former 2000AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine editor, author and comics writer David Bishop reports that his massive book about the history of 2000AD, Thrill-Power Overload, will be released in paperback next year. “Steady reorders mean Rebellion is down to… Read More ›
-
Win Forbidden Planet T-Shirts!
On Saturday and Sunday 6-7 September 2008 Forbidden Planet (London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Croydon, Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton) celebrates its 30 years of ‘Geek Chic’ with parties, including giveaways. The fun starts at opening time and the first 30 people… Read More ›
-
Goodbye, Ken, and thanks for all the fun…
Updated (earlier picture from Doctor Who audition tapes was not, apparently, Ken Campbell): The brilliant Ken Campbell — improv actor, writer and man of experimental theatre — has died, aged just 66. His stage shows were simply incredible, always full… Read More ›
-
British Comic Heroes: The Return of Garth
In August 2008, after a long gestation period, adventure hero Garth returned to British newspaper The Mirror – albeit, for now, only on the publication’s web site. Here, artist Huw-J talks to John Freeman about the new strip and his… Read More ›
-
The Return of Garth
Earlier this month, after a long gestation period, adventure hero Garth returned to British newspaper The Mirror – albeit, for now, only on the publication’s web site. Now, in an exclusive interview for downthetubes, artist Huw-J of Hayena Studios talks… Read More ›
-
How Much Is A Fanzine Worth?
Just how much is a fanzine worth? For the buyer, in theory, it is worth the amount of money that he has just paid for it. If it wasn’t that good and the buyer believes that it is worth less… Read More ›
-
Book And Magazine Collector 299
The long running series of articles on Great British Comics Artists by David Ashford and Norman Wright in Book and Magazine Collector has reached part 30. After last issue covered Ron Smith, this issue’s subject is Frank Humphris. Humphris was… Read More ›
-
Abnett, Swallow To Appear at October GamesFest
Top British comic writer and author Dan Abnett and Star Trek author James Swallow are among several writers, including Stan Nicholls and James Barclay, who will be appearing as part of an impressive line up of creative talent, game demonstrations… Read More ›
-
Tube Surfing: 30 August 2008
• A quick reminder about Jonathan Cape,, The Observer and Comica’s Graphic Short Story Competition of which the winner will receive a tasty grand and their story across two pages of The Observer. Follow this link for more info and… Read More ›
-
Mission:Impossible Mobile Comic in Development
Mobile comic creator and Singapore-based marketing and brand development company Omnitoons has announced that they are co-developing “Manga-styled” mobile comics that will be based on Paramount Pictures’ films, in partnership with Paramount Digital Entertainment. The new mobile comics will be… Read More ›
-
Wrong Door Reviews…
— which are pretty mixed so far, reflecting comment here and elsewhere on the net. Broadcast reports that The Wrong Door attracted 546,000 (3.5%) at 10.30pm last night, the highest ever audience for the launch of a comedy on the… Read More ›
-
Birmingham Gets Watchmen Fever
The Birmingham International Comics Show returns to Millennium Point in Britain’s second city for second year running in October and has a distinct Watchmen flavour to proceedings with the inclusion of co-creator Dave Gibbons to the growing guest list and… Read More ›
-
Andersonic Hits Six with new Gerry Anderson Interview
The sixth ‘episode’ of Richard Farell and Vincent Law’s Gerry Anderson fanzine Andersonic is now on sale via the Andersonic web site Another 40 page issue, it features a new interview with Gerry Anderson who discusses, amongst other things, UFO,… Read More ›
-
Wrong Door Day
It’s Wrong Door day — the launch of BBC3‘s new comedy show written by Ben Wheatley whose credits also include work for web, TV such as Time Trumpet and advrtising such as Pot Noodle Crumlin and more. Anyone who likes… Read More ›
-
More Comics on iphone
Owners of Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices have been downloading millions of games, utilities, books, and tools from Apple’s recently launched iTunes App Store. Now, starting later this year millions of iPhone/iPod Touch owners will have the opportunity to… Read More ›
-
Virgin Comics closes New York office, projects cancelled?
Updated 24/9/08: Publishers Weekly reports that Virgin Comics, the two year-old joint venture between the Virgin Group and India’s comic book publisher Gotham Entertainment and publishers of the recent Dan Dare mini series by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine, has… Read More ›